Once There, a Brand's Success Is Yours to Lose

When you've made it, established a brand people like and respect, nothing can touch you. Right? Is that right, Levi-Strauss? Nodding your head, Polaroid? One of the great American Tragedies is the list of companies once successful that are now in their declining days, if not already put to rest in a corporate coffin with a lily on the chest. The fact is, you are not going to make everyone happy, but once you energize your customers against you and start to see web sites like www.ihatestarbucks.com, then you know there is trouble in River City.

One sure sign a company is headed down a slippery slope is when the new CEO doesn't focus first on customer experience as the basis for the design of everything. When Phil Schoonover took over as CEO of Circuit City Stores, Inc. in 2006, one initial step was to save the company back into profitability. In 2007, he cut 3,000 workers as part of an initiative to save $200 million a year. At the same time, he said, "We want engaged associates who have fun at work, bring a passion about the products, and enjoy serving customers."^[17] He wanted, he said, for the company to become an employer of choice. Really? Handing out pink slips sure fires up the joy machine. Right? Well, that does still leave the company with 43,000 employees. But employees are "customers" too. How's their experience doing?